Infants and other incontinent individuals wear absorbent articles such as incontinent pads and diapers to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Absorbent articles function both to contain discharged materials and to isolate these materials from the body of the wearer and from the wearer's garments and bed clothing. Disposable absorbent articles having many different basic designs are known to the art.
The absorbent capacity of an absorbent article necessary to provide containment of bodily fluids without leaking is quite different between daytime and overnight use. Because wear time is usually longer during overnight use as compared to daytime use, the quantity of bodily fluids discharged during overnight use is typically greater than the quantity of bodily fluids discharged during daytime use. Even though the absorbent capacity requirements are quite different, absorbent articles having one level of absorbent capacity are typically used for both daytime and overnight use. Unfortunately, the absorbent capacity is sometimes insufficient for overnight use and the absorbent article leaks.
One solution to the above problem is to provide the user with an insert which may be combined with an absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, to increase the level of absorbent capacity. Diaper inserts or liners are shown in a number of U.S. patents. Representative U.S. patents include U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,105 which issued to J. A. Eller et al. on Dec. 20, 1938 and shows an absorbent pad secured inside a holder with bands or tapes which may be elastic; U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,030 issued to M. Kraft on Aug. 4, 1942; U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,398 which issued to V. Blake on Dec. 4, 1951; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,558 which issued to H. O. Kennette on Aug. 12, 1952 show liners secured with snap fasteners inside side-closing overpants; U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,210 which issued to Jacob A. Glassman on May 10, 1977 shows a liner secured to a diaper with spots of pressure sensitive adhesive. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,715 which issued to Y. L. Folk on Feb. 7, 1956 discloses Composite Training Pants and Diaper having unitized elasticized leg cuffs: leg cuffs wherein the longitudinal side edges of the training pants are joined to the longitudinal side edges of the diaper and jointly elasticized by elastic bands. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,760 which issued to Kenneth B. Buell on Jul. 1, 1986, discloses a waist-containment garment having a disposable elasticized insert. While these patents disclose a liner, diaper, and outer-garment configurations and combinations which have solved some of the problems associated with providing enough absorbent capacity for overnight requirements, they have not solved the problems associated with the absorbent article and liners being sold in separate packages. Having the absorbent article and liners sold only in separate packages is both costly and inconvenient to consumers.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package containing absorbent articles having a predetermined absorbent capacity, and at least one insert. When the insert is joined to the absorbent article, either before being placed in the package or by the caretaker before being placed on the wearer, the insert and the absorbent article together form a combined absorbent article having an absorbent capacity which is greater than the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article.
The above and other objectives of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.